The miracle at Camp Winning Hands

When Elijah was a baby, I spent countless hours researching on the internet, anybody who could help me, or understand him. I did my best to join organizations, and groups that would connect me to people, and other children that we could relate to. I never really found anybody and felt so very alone. I did, however, happen to catch wind of special camps for children with upper limb deficiencies. They spent summers together and always looked like they had so much fun, but the problem was, all the camps were thousands of miles away and going to one would be a major financial commitment. But I always wanted him to go to one, I just thought we would have to wait a while.

4 months ago, Elijah's nurse Janice from Shriner's contacted us to tell us about a Camp for children that she had started 2 years before. We would have to pull some major strings to get in, but after a few months and a LOT of paperwork, we found out he was able to go!

This weekend Tim and I took just Elijah to handcamp and I cannot begin to explain how impactful it was to all of us. Elijah got to know a lot of other kids that also had hand differences. He spent time playing and giggling with them. His hand surgeon and nurse were there to greet him and talk with him, which was such an amazing experience, as they had walked through some very dark and lonely times with us.
 And we got to meet other parents who were going through the same things we had been going through. The camp counselors were all young adults who also had upper limb deficiencies. The kids got to interact with them and ask them how to do things, and how they felt about things. And we, as parents, were given the opportunity to ask the counselors questions in a panel about their experiences, about things we could do differently or better. Lastly the camp counselors parents came and did a panel with us. We cried and cried as they told us their experiences and what they did wrong, or well and they all gave us invaluable advice.

And there it was: one weekend at handcamp did more for all of us than the last 5 years had. It confirmed to me what God had been putting on my heart for a while. Alongside of this book I am writing, my long term goal has always been to create an organization that connected parents of children with disabilities to therapists and hospitals and charities and grants and other families and organizations and, yes even camps. This is a MAJOR need for families out there who are sent home with a baby and a "good luck" thumbs up.

There really are no words to describe just what an incredible experience it was, but the pictures do what words just can't.